Chapter 168
"Are all these people applicants?"
Eon-hyo looked at the long line stretched out before him with somewhat surprised eyes. Even though it was a class personally endorsed and guaranteed by Jo-hyeon, the military strategist of the Orthodox Alliance, Eon-hyo hadn't expected so many people to flock to it.
"Hmm, quite a lot indeed."
"Doesn't this show just how deep the trust in Military Strategist Jo-hyeon runs?" Peng Do-hyeong said.
Eon-hyo nodded at his words.
"What about Brother Shangguan?"
"…He's not in a position to take classes."
"That figures."
Eon-hyo shook his head.
In the past, he might have been somewhat pleased at the thought of getting this good opportunity all to himself. But not now. Shangguan Hong was no longer a target he needed to catch up to.
'He's more like a colleague now.'
Ever since learning of the monster named Wei Yan-ho, Shangguan Hong no longer seemed that impressive. It was like seeing a village's back hill as low after witnessing a massive mountain – the same principle applied.
That didn't mean he looked down on Shangguan Hong. He simply knew that if he set Shangguan Hong as his goal and worked toward it, he would never catch up to Wei Yan-ho in his lifetime.
"Brother."
"Hmm?"
"Can we really catch up to him?"
Eon-hyo pressed his lips together firmly and nodded.
"He's human, and we're human too. If it's a realm he has reached, then we can reach it as well."
"But…"
"Victory in the martial world isn't just about the present moment. Even if it takes ten years, or twenty years, the one who works tirelessly and stands ahead in the end is the true winner."
"I'll keep that in mind."
When Peng Do-hyeong seemed convinced, Eon-hyo let out a small sigh where he couldn't see.
'How did I end up knowing such a monster… '
The words came easily, but Eon-hyo knew well that it wouldn't be easy at all.
Take Demon-Slaying Sword Wei San-ho – though the age difference wasn't that great, he was already talented enough to be considered a lock for the position of the next generation's greatest under heaven.
Wasn't even Shangguan Hong receiving evaluations that he couldn't yet dare compare to Wei San-ho?
It was already burdensome enough to have someone like that in the same generation but now, someone who had even surpassed Wei San-ho had appeared.
'They say the world is full of geniuses stumbling over each other.'
Eon-hyo reflected on his past self who had been called a genius and had gotten conceited. Compared to the real geniuses he had met, calling him a fool wouldn't be unfair.
Even Shangguan Hong often showed extraordinary qualities he could never hope to match, yet there were those in the martial world who could toy with such a Shangguan Hong like a child.
"Still, we should easily pass this examination, right?"
"…Do-hyeong."
"Yes, brother."
"Shangguan Hong or Wei San-ho might be having the same thoughts you're having right now. Just because they're ahead now, do you think they'll stay ahead forever?"
Peng Do-hyeong bowed his head with a stern expression.
"I was being reckless."
"Though we may be half a step ahead right now, those chasing us are no pushovers either. Moreover, Dormant Dragon Hall is an educational institution. It's a place that looks at potential, not just the present. If it's an examination standard created by Divine Strategist Jo-hyeon, it wouldn't be strange at all if we failed. Cast aside your arrogance. In any situation, giving your best effort comes first."
"Yes, brother!"
These weren't just words for show.
Eon-hyo truly believed this. Just as they could catch up to Wei San-ho or Shangguan Hong, it wouldn't be strange for others to catch up to them. That's why constant effort was necessary.
It was the proper mindset for a martial artist.
But unfortunately, his prediction about the examination was only half correct.
It was true that they looked at potential, but the standards for that potential were different.
"Wh-why am I eliminated!"
Namgung Jo-hwi shouted in a voice of complete disbelief.
Who was he?
Namgung Jo-hwi.
The direct descendant of the Namgung Family that dominated the world. How could such a Namgung Jo-hwi fail to pass a mere examination like this? Even if he hadn't made it into the Three Dragons and Two Phoenixes due to his past record being inferior to theirs, Namgung Jo-hwi believed his current skills were no less than theirs.
Yet he wasn't even qualified to receive education! How could he accept this!
"What exactly are the examination standards! How can I be eliminated!"
"Standards?"
The man sitting at the head table frowned and glared at Namgung Jo-hwi.
"Are you saying you don't trust my eyes?"
"Ugh…"
Namgung Jo-hwi looked at the man sitting at the head table with somewhat suppressed eyes. No matter how direct a descendant of the Namgung Family he was, he couldn't expect his prestige to work in front of this man.
Rather, he was in a position where he had to watch this man's mood.
It couldn't be helped.
Though the Namgung Family was renowned as the greatest family under heaven, this man's background was no less impressive. Moreover, judging by the fame he had spread across the four seas, someone like Namgung Jo-hwi couldn't dare compare.
It couldn't be helped.
The man sitting at the head table was none other than the famous Plum Blossom Sword Ghost Gong Mu-jin.
'Special examination committee member, my foot.'
Namgung Jo-hwi had disliked this system from the start. Though they called him a committee member, looking at him sitting at the head table, this person was essentially the examination committee chairman.
No matter how famous the Plum Blossom Sword Ghost Gong Mu-jin was, did it make sense to suddenly seat someone who had no previous connection to Dormant Dragon Hall as an examination committee member?
He had no idea what abilities they possessed or what they had built up.
"I-I'm not doubting you. But the examination standards should be understandable! Otherwise, won't people say that the special examination committee member selected based on personal feelings?"
"The standard is simple."
"What is it!"
Gong Mu-jin waved his hand dismissively.
"I don't particularly need to tell you the examination standards. I'm simply making selections in my own way. If you have complaints, go ahead and protest. But that won't change the results. Now leave."
At Gong Mu-jin's firm words, Namgung Jo-hwi's body trembled, then he turned around powerlessly. No matter how dissatisfied he was, protesting against the Plum Blossom Sword Ghost, especially one backed by a military strategist's authority, was impossible.
"Next."
At Gong Mu-jin's voice, Eon-hyo entered cautiously with a pale face.
'N-Namgung Jo-hwi failed… '
Eon-hyo knew that Namgung Jo-hwi's skills were definitely not inferior to theirs. But if Namgung Jo-hwi had failed, it meant they could fail too.
Just moments ago, Eon-hyo had repeatedly told Peng Do-hyeong not to be careless, but even he had harbored the thought deep down that surely they wouldn't fail.
But now, at this moment, that arrogant thought vanished without a trace.
'Wh-what kind of examination are they conducting?'
He could know the results of the person before him, but since the examination itself was conducted in secret, he had no idea what the standards were. So he couldn't relax for even a moment.
"A familiar face."
Plum Blossom Sword Ghost Gong Mu-jin quietly looked at Eon-hyo.
Gulp.
Eon-hyo swallowed dry saliva.
Though he could say he had some acquaintance with Gong Mu-jin, the Plum Blossom Sword Ghost Gong Mu-jin he knew wasn't someone who would give good evaluations based on personal connections.
Rather, Gong Mu-jin was someone who would give even harsher criticism because he knew them better.
"You, pass."
"…Pardon?"
P-pass?
Without doing anything?
"And there's Peng Do-hyeong behind you, right?"
"Yes? Yes! He's there."
"He passes too."
"..."
"Don't waste time, get out. Attend classes properly."
"Y-yes, I understand."
Even as he left the examination room, Eon-hyo couldn't understand why he had passed.
* * *
In the examination room after Eon-hyo left, Gong Mu-jin spread out two documents.
Namgung Jo-hwi. Fiery temperament. Frequent conflicts with those around him due to arrogant personality and pride in his family.
Eon-hyo. Deep patience. Deep thinking, skilled at soothing those around him when problems arise.
Looking at the two evaluation sheets, Gong Mu-jin clicked his tongue.
'You'll have to thank me later, young fool of the Namgung Family.'
Unlike what Eon-hyo or Namgung Jo-hwi thought, special examination committee member Gong Mu-jin had not the slightest interest in their achievements, potential, or possibilities.
The evaluation criteria were two things.
First, a decent personality.
The Wei Yan-ho he knew became truly frighteningly cold when merciless – cold enough to make one wonder if he was even human. If he paired someone arrogant with a bad personality with him, a terrible accident would happen.
Like what happened with Shangguan Hong.
Having already witnessed Shangguan Hong's fate, he couldn't very well destroy another family's precious child.
So the first step was to exclude all those with bad enough personalities to pick fights with Wei Yan-ho.
Second, skill.
If everyone's personality was decent, he would pick the better ones among them.
Therefore, the examination would be divided into immediate pass, pending, and immediate failure.
Those like Eon-hyo with steady personalities and skill would be selected immediately without need for waiting, and later, insufficient numbers would be filled from the pending candidates in order of skill – this was Gong Mu-jin's plan.
"Hmm, Great Hero Gong."
"Yes."
Seok Mun-cho, the head instructor of Dormant Dragon Hall, spoke to Gong Mu-jin with a quite displeased expression.
"Namgung Jo-hwi shows promise both in his current skill and development potential. Isn't it too harsh to eliminate such a person immediately…"
Gong Mu-jin shook his head firmly.
"No."
"…Pardon?"
"The biggest criterion for this examination is to exclude troublemakers in advance. Namgung Jo-hwi's personality will definitely cause problems. And if problems arise, we don't have the ability to handle them."
"Hmm, I see. Indeed, if the Namgung Family properly sharpens their teeth and protests, it would be a big problem. Even if the military strategist provides protection, it's not something we can handle."
'Can't handle it?'
Gong Mu-jin fell deep into thought.
What would happen if the Namgung Family, called the greatest family of the current era, and Wei Yan-ho's Guangdong Wei Family clashed head-on?
Could even the Namgung Family, which boasted of its history and foundation, handle 'that' Guangdong Wei Family?
'I wouldn't do it.'
It wasn't a matter of winning or losing. Even if the Namgung Family somehow managed to achieve victory by investing all their power against Wei Yan-ho, the Namgung Family would also be completely destroyed.
The greatest family under heaven could fall in an instant because of just three people.
'But… could they even win?'
Thinking of that inhuman monster's face, Gong Mu-jin sighed, and Seok Mun-cho comforted him as if he understood everything.
"The Namgung Family is indeed that massive an existence."
'Massive my ass.'
I'm doing this because of a massive lazy bastard, you fool!
There was no point in saying it now.
He would find out when he experienced it firsthand.
With Gong Mu-jin clicking his tongue with a subtle expression, the day of the first class finally dawned.